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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29032635">Sesquicentennial</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenix316/pseuds/phoenix316'>phoenix316</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 10:40:25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29032635</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenix316/pseuds/phoenix316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucius Malfoy is celebrating his 150th birthday with his large extended family. Could there be a better way to spend a day?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>46</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sesquicentennial</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>My plot bunnies ravenously attacked me with this idea. I hope you enjoy it. All feedback is gratefully welcomed and feeds the plot bunnies. This is set 100 years after the end of 'New Beginning' (not counting the epilogue), which really isn't necessary to understand this story, but I encourage you to read it. To sum up: Lucius and Hermione married in 2004 and by 2017 had four children.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lucius was buttoning up his shirt, getting ready for the day, but he was finding it difficult. His fingers were stiff and shaky. Finally he gave up and summoned his wand to magically button his shirt. He was finding it was getting more difficult to complete tasks without resorting to magic. He was putting his boots on when Hermione entered their suite.</p><p>"Good morning, darling. Are you ready for breakfast?" she asked as she came over to give him a kiss.</p><p>"Just about," he replied as he slipped his shoes on.</p><p>"You might want a jumper," she offered.</p><p>He gave her a sideways glance. "I would think that after a hundred and fifty years I'd know how to dress myself."</p><p>"You do and always so impeccably, but there is a chill in the air this morning." When he didn't reply, she asked, "Please?"</p><p>He summoned his walking stick and used it to help get to his feet. "Since you asked so nicely." Once he was sure he was steady, he went to fetch a jumper and chose a brilliant royal blue one that Hermione had gotten him for Christmas years ago because she said it complemented his eyes.</p><p>After he pulled his jumper on, Hermione helped him pull his hair out of the jumper and straighten his collar. She smiled warmly at him. "Perfect." She then looped his arm in his and they went downstairs for breakfast. </p><p>Valerius and his wife Marissa were already at the table. "Happy birthday," they said in unison.</p><p>"That is today, isn't it?" he asked playfully as he pulled out a seat for Hermione before joining them at the table. They made light conversation over breakfast, with Valerius asking his father about some of his favorite memories. Once they had finished, Hermione gave him a knowing look. "Time for our walk, I presume?"</p><p>She set her napkin beside her plate before rising to her feet. "You know it's good for us and other than the chill, it looks to be a beautiful day."</p><p>"I assure you, there will be no rain today," Valerius said. "Nothing but the best weather."</p><p>"Thank you," Lucius replied. He rose to his feet and then walked arm in arm with Hermione and they went outside via one of the side doors. "Are you setting your timer?" he asked playfully.</p><p>"The exercise is good for us. Help keeps us young," she responded, long used to his playful banter.</p><p>"I looked in the mirror this morning when I shaved. I'm afraid it's not working very well."</p><p>She smiled warmly at him. "I think it's working perfectly well. I still see my handsome husband."</p><p>"Then maybe we should check your glasses."</p><p>"You used to take compliments much better," she chided.</p><p>"It's my birthday. I think I'm entitled to be a grumpy old man." She refused to take his bait, and he was a bit disappointed. "They'll all be here today?"</p><p>"Last I heard, yes. They will all be here today. I don't think any of them wanted to miss this momentous occasion."</p><p>"I hardly think it's momentous that I haven't croaked in the last year."</p><p>"One hundred and fifty is quite a feat, Luce. Not many of us live that long."</p><p>A fact he well knew. Astoria and Draco had died not long after she turned one-hundred. Draco presumably of a broken heart only a few weeks after Astoria. He had not felt pain like that since Narcissa had died. "Still, it's not like I did anything special."</p><p>"You are their father, grandfather—" </p><p>"How many greats are we up to now?" he interjected, knowing where she was going.</p><p>"It'll be four times when Gaius' child is born later this year."</p><p>"Hmpf. First we wondered if the boy's father would ever have a child and now here he is, barely out of school about to become a father himself." He was exaggerating since Marius had been forty-two when Gaius had been born.</p><p>"They live their own lives, Luce," she said gently.</p><p>"That they do," he replied. "And I suppose Potter will be there?" He really no longer held any grudge against Harry, it had just become habit, how he showed affection to the younger man.</p><p>"His son did marry our daughter, so yes."</p><p>"Should have just been Albus invited," Lucius retorted, hoping to get Hermione debating him.</p><p>"You know that he's been living with Albus and Flavia since Ginny passed a few months ago. Can you go easy on him today?"</p><p>"Then he would suspect something is up. It's been our relationship for as long as I can remember, and I think he might appreciate something familiar, someone treating him like normal."</p><p>Hermione shook her head. She still did not comprehend how male friendships worked. "I'll never understand it."</p><p>He patted her hand. "You aren't meant to. It's worked for us since… well, since before we were married." He paused and thought. "That'll be a century come June, won't it?"</p><p>"And I couldn't have asked for a better one." She stopped to give him a kiss. "Marrying you was the best decision of my life."</p><p>He held her hands and admired her eyes. "It was a very good one for me, too." As they started walking, he laced his fingers in hers. "Now, why don't we finish the walk so I can go through the post before everyone arrives?"</p><p>"A creature of habit," she replied playfully.</p><p>"No more than you. I know you will grab a book and curl up in your favorite chair for the next hour," he said and smiled affectionately at her.</p><p>"It's been a good hundred years, Luce," she said as she leaned her head against his arm.</p><p>"That it has," he replied.</p>
<hr/><p>Lucius had finished with the post and then was curious as to exactly how large his family had gotten. He was going over the family tree when Valerius entered his office.</p><p>"Time to go, Father," Valerius said jovially.</p><p>Lucius stood up as straight as his aged body allowed. "Did everyone make it?" Lucius asked.</p><p>"I think so, though I didn't exactly take roll."</p><p>"No matter. It will be good to see everyone. I can't recall the last time we all got together."</p><p>"It's been a while," Valerius said sadly.</p><p>"Ah, yes, your brother's funeral. That was a long time ago. Don't let it go so long," he advised.</p><p>"We're planning on having everyone here for your anniversary this summer."</p><p>"Good, good." They stepped out onto the terrace that overlooked the garden and Lucius marveled as he looked out at his family. They ranged from Scorpius who was 103 to his infant great-great-grandchildren and he couldn't help but notice there were more on the way.</p><p>"Father, are you alright?" Valerius asked quietly as he saw the tears forming in his father's eyes.</p><p>Lucius patted Valerius's hand. "I'm fine. Just considering how lucky I am to have such a large family." He had counted in his office and he had 72 living descendants.</p><p>"Well then, I think you'll like the announcement Lucius will be making later," Valerius hinted.</p><p>"Oh?" Lucius asked. He had always had a fondness for his youngest and of course Lucius because he was Valerius's only son. He loved his daughters as well, especially Hilaria, but he had done much better raising Valerius into a good man than he had done with Draco.</p><p>"You'll just have to wait." Valerius helped his father down the stairs to the lower part of the garden.</p><p>Hermione saw them and joined them. Quietly she said to Valerius, "You should have taken the ramp."</p><p>"I'm not an invalid yet, and I can still walk down stairs," Lucius retorted. "And my hearing is still quite excellent, thank you very much." He felt he was still quite spry for someone of his advanced age, though he used his walking stick regularly for support now and not just an affectation as it had been in his younger years.</p><p>"I know. But it wouldn't do for you to slip on the stairs today," she said fondly.</p><p>He knew she was going to lead him to a seat, but he wanted to mingle with his family and made a beeline for Hilaria, who was holding her youngest great grandchild who was only 6 months old. "There's my little one. Come to Pop-pop, Amelia."</p><p>Hilaria gently relinquished the baby to her father's arms. "Happy birthday, Father."</p><p>"It is a happy day when I get to spend it with my family," he said as he smiled at the infant in his arms. It felt good to get hold a baby, no matter how many he had held over the years.</p><p>He spent the next 30 minutes mingling with his family and avoiding Potter before retiring to take a seat.</p><p>Noticing this, Valerius clinked a glass with a knife to get everyone's attention. "Brothers and sisters, children and grandchildren. Today we are celebrating a momentous occasion as our patriarch, my father, Lucius, is turning 150." He paused for the big cheer from everyone. "As I'm sure everyone is eager for lunch, I'll keep this short. He and my mother have done a marvelous job raising a large family, 72 of us at the moment, but there will be several new additions soon. And regarding that, my son, Lucius, has an announcement to make." He gestured for his son to come forward.</p><p>The younger Lucius was the spitting image of his grandfather. "Thank you, Father. I know that Pop-pop has been eagerly awaiting the birth of my third child, hoping it would be a boy, well, I'm here to say that we are indeed expecting a boy, and April and I could think of no better way to tell everyone." Everyone clapped as Lucius returned to his wife's side.</p><p>Using his walking stick, Lucius rose to his feet. "I agree that there was no better place to share that good news. Congratulations to you and April. Now, I think it's time to eat so I can get my strength up to blow out all the candles," he said jovially and everyone laughed at his joke. </p><p>His name would continue at least one more generation. While he had 72 descendants, very few of them had his name. Draco's line had produced a series of single sons. Valerius had had three daughters before having a son of his own and now Lucius was to have a son. His daughters on the other hand, had produced an abundance of male offspring, other than Aeliana who had chosen not to have children and was standing proudly with her wife. But he found he didn't mind. Valerius had taken up residence in the manor forty years earlier when Hermione had convinced Lucius to fully retire from his business interests and leave them in Valerius's capable hands. And it had given him plenty of time over the summer breaks to nurture his namesake. The younger Lucius had poured himself into business and had only settled down about 15 years ago. But he was in no position to question Lucius about not having children earlier in life as all four of his children with Hermione had been born after his 50th birthday.</p><p>As the afternoon wore on, Lucius happily received his relatives as they wished him happy birthday. He was especially fond of having the younger ones come join him and eventually ended up with a circle of young children as he told them stories for a while. Eventually he ran out of stories, and they ran off to play hide and seek in the garden.</p><p>He smiled as he sat in his chair, hands on the head of cane, observing his family. The older ones had all eventually succeeded. Some of the younger ones were still trying to find their way, but he had no doubt they would succeed. After all, they had Malfoy blood.</p><p>Harry Potter used his wand to pull up a chair and sit beside Lucius. "Congratulations," he said.</p><p>"For living? Thank you, but I'm not sure it's worth congratulating," Lucius replied.</p><p>Harry nodded his head at the crowd. "For this. For raising a good family. You and Hermione did a great job. I had my doubts."</p><p>"Yet you let your son marry my daughter."</p><p>"You let your daughter marry my son," Harry retorted.</p><p>"Only because he had been sorted into Slytherin," Lucius teased. He looked around and found Flavia and Albus surrounded by their great-grandchildren. "I was sorry to hear about Ginny. She was a remarkable woman."</p><p>"She was," Harry replied sadly. "But we can't stop the passage of time, can we?"</p><p>"No, we can't," Lucius replied quietly. "But we can enjoy today and live every day as though it might our last, especially when one gets as old as we are."</p><p>"Very true. That's why I wanted to be here today. I knew they would all be here," he gestured to his extended family.</p><p>"You should go join them," Lucius replied. Once Potter was gone, Lucius rose to his feet and sought out his four children and talked to each of them individually a few minutes. He found Hermione engrossed in conversation with Aeliana after he finished talking to Flavia. "My love, I'm going to go lie down. It's been quite a tiring day."</p><p>"I'll come get you for dinner," she said before softly kissing him.</p><p>"Thank you." He turned to the crowd and rapped his walking stick against the stone to get everyone's attention. "Family, I would like to thank you for joining me today. It has made this a special day that I will never forget. I never had a good relationship with my father and it warms my heart to see how close our family is. I am so glad I could do so much better than he did. I am proud to call all of you Malfoys, whether you bear the family name or not. I love all of you and look forward to getting together again." He then turned and slowly made his way up the steps and into the manor for a nap.</p>
<hr/><p>After Lucius retired, it took more than an hour for Hermione to see off their family.</p><p>Valerius finally approached her, "Mother, you have done enough. Why don't you take a break, and Marissa and I will see to everything else?"</p><p>"You're right. It's your house now, isn't it?" Hermione said.</p><p>"It's still yours and Father's house. We just live here."</p><p>"It's more than that, Valerius. When he retired, he turned the Malfoy baton over to you. We'll see you at dinner." She decided to head upstairs and check on Lucius since he would want time to dress for dinner. As she reached for the door of their room, she was suddenly overcome with a sense of dread. She opened the door and moved as quickly as she could to the bed. Lucius was lying unnaturally still. She reached out for him and gently shook him. "Lucius?" she said, but she knew she would get no response. Touching his face, she found that it was far too cool. She laid down on the bed and embraced him one last time. "Goodbye, my love," she said softly before collapsing in tears. At least he had spent one last day with his family.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you all for reading. This is quite possibly the most emotionally draining thing I have written. Especially when I went back to edit it after writing the ending (which had not immediately come to me until I got there). I have honest to goodness cried real tears over this. I think this was so difficult because it took me 10 years of off and on writing and editing to finish New Beginning, so this iteration of Hermione and Lucius has been with me a long time unlike others where it takes a few months at most to complete a story and then I move on.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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